The game had a completely different feel to it than Syracuse and Villanova’s earlier matchup. In that game, the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field, including 11-for-24 from downtown as Villanova downed the Orange 83-72.

The Wildcats had no such shooting touch Monday, as they shot just 32 percent from the field and 5-for-26 from beyond the arc.

“In Syracuse, we gave them a lot of room and they made 3s,” Boeheim said. “Tonight we wanted to push up on them.”

The win was especially gratifying for Jardine.

In his career, Jardine had shot just 33 percent against his hometown school. But Jardine ended that trend by shooting 7-for-11 from the field.

But Jardine’s effort was nearly not enough as SU saw its 47-38 lead with 13:48 left vanish. The Wildcats used a 7-0 run to pull within 55-54 with 5:28 remaining.

Jardine responded by scoring six straight points for the Orange, including a 3-pointer that gave the Orange a five-point cushion with just under five minutes left.

“[Playing close games] gets us ready for anything,” Jardine said. “When we get to the tournament, we will have seen every situation put in front of it.”

Villanova would continue to stay close, as the Wildcats twice closed to within a single point. But SU, which never trailed after the 15:15 mark in the first half, never gave up the lead.

“We’ve had a lot of games where when we’ve stayed in them, we’ve been able to win them,” Boeheim said. “When we’ve been in the game, we’ve made plays down the stretch.”

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Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also worked for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005. Follow him on Twitter @ChengWes.